Editing Post (audio)

Audio

During my post-production, I focused especially on refining the audio by using some background noise nullifier to nullify the noises like my fridge, and some bad echoes in the background.  I reduced background hum and also adjusted the voices to make sure the voices were clear and balanced to my liking. 

Next, I found some Royalty-Free music to accompany my 3 beginning scenes, I went onto Pixabay and searched for instrumental, dramatic and orchestral music that fits my opening perfectly. The song I chose is, "Cinematic Calm Dramatic Theme" by Luis_Humanoide and put it into 2 scenes loud and clear and 1 scene it was quieter so my main character could monologue. I also faded the music between the 2 scenes to make it feel more synchronized and professional. 

Additionally, I cleaned up the dialogue audio by raising the volume on certain scenes where I had trouble hearing the audio, I also split some scenes where I was able to hear my friend saying "Action," I refined some more audio and I was done.

Overall, The audio editing process is short but very crucial to my opening project. By cleaning up dialogue, adjusting pacing, and adding subtle music to parts where it felt needed, I enhanced tension and realism into my opening. The final result supports my themes of secrecy exactly the way I envisioned. 

Pixabay. (n.d.). Dramatic Classical Cinematic Calm Dramatic Theme [Music track]. https://pixabay.com/music/dramatic-classical-cinematic-calm-dramatic-theme-170162/

Editing Post (visual)

 (Visual Editing)

When I thought of my editing process I thought of a few programs I could use. I thought of Clip Champ but it was buggy when I used it in class, so I landed on iMovie since back in middle school I used to use it all the time for projects. It also has a lot more filters and settings than Clip Champ so in my head it was a no brainer. This especially worked in some scenes where the camera pans across the screen to show some characters, I wanted the color to look as good as possible. 

For example, This shot of Lil' Joe I wanted to capture a conventional crime genre type color scheme with the color so I tried to imitate it with filters, I used the "Blue" filter to make the scene really come to life for me. 

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I wanted to focus on shot placement, cutting, and fixing the rough edges around my filming. When cutting between shots, I avoided fast cuts where my actors would be in completely different positions in the next scene, I also made sure shots connected right and synced up well with the next. 

 I also adjusted the brightness of some footage, The original garage lighting felt off to me so during editing,  I lowered the exposure slightly and increased contrast to create some more deeper shadows which are commonly used in the mafioso type genre. This made the space feel more dramatic and less like some boring garage. 

Next, I wanted to color grade the scene. I started by adding cooler tones to make the environment to remove warmth and make the scene look a bit more serious. This reinforces the theme of secrecy of the garage. 

BTS of filmin

Before filming my opener, I transformed my garage into a set, I took out the cars and set up tables and fold up chairs. These behind the scene images show the process of my prep for the filming and how I created mine en scene to reflect tension in the opener.

First, I cleared out my garage to open up space and so it wouldn't look to cluttered on camera, I did intentionally kept some background elements like the bikes and the white drywall to enforce realism that shows the informality of the meeting and secrecy. 

I positioned a small foldable round table in the center of the frame to act as like a focal point of the scene, I placed 2 chairs down for the majority of the scenes, but when I pulled the third seat for the main character it was to symbolize the contrast of the characters, as their chairs being white and the same reflect their rank in this ladder, but for the main character the chair was bright orange subtly drawing attention to the character. 

The props on the table (alarm clock, file labeled top secret, and bag with sugar in it) were arranged to fit certain themes, The file labeled top secret was to show the audience that the things in that file were of top secrecy. I played around with positioning to make it not look to overly decorated. 

I used my dad's tripod to test placement. Adjusting the height and angle to create a slightly wide shot that captures both characters and the props/environment. The overhead lights made the scene look more natural and realistic, by having ha
rsh shadows I could enhance the tense, gritty atmosphere I was going for. 

Overall this stage in production was important because, it helped me refine the visual storytelling before filming, by arranging my props in the way I wanted to, I ensured the scene would feel intentional and not just random 

Group Meeting #2

GROUP MEETING #2

My classmates and I were sat down in a group to do our second group meeting but this time we were asked to explain our plot/story for our opener and explain our ideas for our CCR Question #1.

The first blog that I saw was ilovepalito's blog which seemed to be the one with the most progress, their project has already been started, and they have a majority of their video recorded. I love the idea of the inside of the car and the camera being rotated for a very unique shot. The obstacles of the shot though were the lighting and they said they were going to reshoot it, but I still thought it was a great idea and added lots of character to the blog. We told them ideas for the CCR video, and they put it into account.

Here's the group!

Another blog that had a lot done was Vouran, she and her group recorded in the Indian trace park and used very fancy equipment, their story is about a bully who later dies, one of her obstacles her and her group had to go through was a old lady hogging the bench at Indian trace park but they were then able to find a way around it. They talked about how they all met up and recorded the whole thing, we also gave her suggestions on the CCR question, and she took it into account as well.

Another blog we saw was Clara's blog where she explained her video was going to be recorded over the weekend with her friend at the church, she plans to make a video about kidnapping and how her friend would be tied to a chair and hurt. This idea seemed interesting to me, and I am curious how it's going to look in the end. We also spoke about the CCR and gave her some advice. 

I also shared my blog and talked about my hopes for the project and how I asked my friends to be my actors for the movie opener. I explained how I take inspiration from Italian mafia movies/shows where the people are part of a small gang and they have all committed crimes like robbery, murder, or laundering. I also explained how I'm going to integrate cutaways into my movie opener in showing what crimes the 2 other characters have done. I shared my CCR idea and it will be a podcast where a host asks the main character question in which my normal self will be the host and my main character self will be the one answering the questions. This fills the role of good context and a creative CCR. 

Main Character Costume Design Production post!

For this stage of planning, I made a costume idea for my main character that reflects a casual and slightly worn appearance. The outfit includes blue jeans, a gray polo shirt, and a black puffer vest. I chose these pieces intentionally to communicate subtle character details without making the costume overly dramatic.

The overall look is casual and understated. Instead of dressing the character in a formal suit, which is common in traditional mafia/crime movies. I wanted to present him in everyday clothing. This helps make the crime genre and character feel more realistic and grounded. It suggests that criminal activity is part of his normal life rather than something theatrical and unrealistic, like wearing suits and ties.

My grandpas clothes!

The clothing I chose for my main character also appears slightly older rather than brand new. The jeans and polo are simple, practical items that look lived in. This choice makes the idea that the character values "function over fashion." It avoids flashy stereotypes of common mafia moves where they all wear suits and ties and instead presents him as calm, controlled, and comfortable in this environment.

The black vest creates some sort of base or structure to the outfit. While still feeling casual, it creates a darker tone that aligns with the serious mood of the film. The layered look over the polo also gives depth to the costume without making it too formal.

An important detail is that these clothes were from my grandpa's closet. This adds authenticity to the costume because the clothing is actually worn and used rather than artificially aged. The natural wear and slightly aged style help me reinforce the idea that expensive clothing does
not always mean power and wealth. 

Overall, this costume supports my crime film opener by portraying the character an understanding and relatable but also confident. The casual, aged clothing reflects the realism I'm going for and suggests the power doesn't always need to be displayed through luxurious items and expensive fashion. 

 

Choosing The Shooting Location

 For this production post, I focused on picking a location for my opener and then preparing the shooting location. Choosing the right location is important because it sets the tone for the rest of the entire opening.

I was choosing between my room and my garage and the option I went with was my garage since my room has background items that don't make sense to be in this type of movie. I also thought the garage would be a good idea because the garage has items I could use to extend the length of the opener. There are chairs, tables, a fridge and the dim lighting exaggerates the tone of secrecy.

I will clear out the cars during my filming

Before filming, I plan to clear out my garage of unnecessary items that can distract the audience from the main plot, so organizing the space will appear intentional and cinematic rather than messy. I will take the cars out of the garage and will rearrange items to create more space for my camera and actor's movement. 

I also have considered lighting, since garages and my garage have limited natural light, this works for the serious tone of my opener. However, I will test how much light and adjust accordingly to ensure the scene is visible and still has dramatic shadows.

Overall choosing the garage as my shooting location allows me to create a controlled, realistic environment tha supports my theme of secrecy in my film opener. 

Logo post.

 For this stage of production, I'm focusing on my production company's logo which may seem like a part of the project that is irrelevant, but it is actually pretty important. I chose Canva to make my logo because it allowed me to work with tons of different fonts, layouts, spacing, and being able to make the design that I wanted to do.

The main feature of my logo is the swirly font for "Mendez" I chose this font because it looked like a signature, which makes the logo feel personal and the large sweeping M immediately draws attention and caught my eye instantly.

To add structure I added a circle to hold the name on it, which in my opinion made the logo look complete. Beneath the name I put "Brothers" in a basic print font. The contrast of both fonts in my opinion made the logo look more unique and professional. 

I kept the colors black and white to maintain the simple look I was going for. I chose this so it could blend in more with my openers dark lighting and mise en scene without feeling over decorated. 

Overall, Canva helped me choose the perfect logo I needed for my project and I think it looks great, and it really reflects on my choice of genre.

target audience

 In this planning post, I focused on figuring out what the target audience of the movies in the crime genre, and how my decisions can appeal to the group.

My primary target audience is older teenagers and young adults (ages range between 15-25). This age group is more likely to engage with crime dramas that focus on power and morality. Since my opener's storyline explores these topics I thought it would be better suited for more mature audiences rather than kids.

The film will actively appeal to people who enjoy crime and gangster storylines. Audiences who are fans of films like The Sopranos and The Godfather tend to appreciate good crime/gangster movies or shows with themes of power and family loyalty. My opening reflects similar themes, such as calm narration instead of action packed narration.

Because the main character narrates confidently while introducing each family member and their crimes, the film basically hooks the audience into being intrigued rather than shocked on the crimes. This aligns with the viewers who prefer psychological tension in their media.

Overall, my target audience is mature, viewers who enjoy crime genre themes and are interested in character dynamics/growth, power, and atmosphere.

Audio Planning!

 For this planning post, I focused on how audio is important and needed to create tone and atmosphere in my crime film opener. Sound will be playing a major role in building tension and reinforcing roles in the family. 

The most important audio element will be the narrator/main characters voice overs. The narrator will speak calmly and evenly with little to no exaggeration. This will suggest the seriousness of the situation and what he is describing, making the opening more unsettling. His voice will guide the audience through the family members and their actions and making clear who's really in power. 

Ambient sound will also be of great importance to the film. Before the main character enters the room the muffled voices of the family members will be heard from downstairs. This builds anticipation and may hint at secrecy of the event. When downstairs the audience will be able to hear subtle background noises like chairs shifting, quiet conversations, and buzzing lights. This will create realism in the opener.

I also plan to include diegetic sound, like lights flickering, wall clock ticking, or glasses being set down. These quiet and sharp sounds will emphasize the tension in the room. In the flashbacks/cutaways, I want sound to be isolated, for example heavy breathing and distant traffic before quickly being brought

back to the basement. 

I don't plan on adding loud music in the opening, and if music is included at all it would be subtle and quiet, and I possibly hope to get non copy written music to add which is instrumental and slow that will build to the end of the opening. 

Overall, the audio design I'm choosing to put in the opener will be able to support my idea of unease through subtly, and instead of dramatic sounds and fast music, the focus will be on trying to reinforce the quiet power of the characters and scene. 

Planning Post for Props

For this part of the planning, I will focus on how props establish the crime genre and show/communicate power in the opening scene of my movie. because the opening relies on heavy narration and tension, the props need to suggest criminal activity but not explicitly show it. 

• A key prop I want to include is a few papers, forms, stacks of money, or envelopes being red through on the table where some men are sitting at. This can reinforce the idea that this is organized crime and not chaos. 
• Watches and rings will also be used and function as subtle props. Expensive jewelry can be seen as having large wealth and long standing influence/authority, especially for the older members of the gang, I do not plan on giving this jewelry to the younger members, because I want to symbolize their lower status in the gang.
• Cigarettes or glasses of alcoholic beverages can establish atmosphere in the basement. I plan for background actors to do these to add to the realism. 
• I also had an idea to add furniture to the room to make it so it looks livable/lived in to increase realism. Furniture like couches, tables, and chairs.

This is what I had in mind for the rings/jewelry

Possible Costume Ideas

 A crucial part of developing Mise-en-Scene in my opening scene is making some costumes for my characters. I had some ideas come to me by thinking about films of similar genres as mine and I came up with some possible costume ideas.

I saw Tony Soprano's costume design for when he's at casual events and really liked how it looked and how it matches so good with my opener and how it connects with the whole casual family gathering so for my costume idea this is the most likely to be chosen. 

Another set of costumes I thought might also work would be the classic tuxedos, suits, blazers. Since they add seriousness to the situation by dressing formally. One problem with this is that its not a very formal event, its just a family meeting, but this idea is still worth considering!

Meet Anthony (Tony)

Name

At first thinking of a character name for my protagonist/narrator seemed like something that would take a long time, but it was pretty straightforward. I looked up common Italian names since it reflects on my genre of mafia type crime. 

When I was looking through I saw "Anthony" and I immediately thought about Tony from The Sopranos, and thought his story reflected very close to my idea for the opening's main character. After I saw it I knew it was a match since it comes from one of my favorite shows and the same genre as the film opener I'm doing!

Developing Anthony's character came more naturally once I started thinking of what kind of personality he has. The film relies heavily on narration and I want his personality to be revealed more in observation than thru raw emotion. Anthony would be calm, reserved and resourceful/observational. He doesn't exaggerate anything and says things as they are, which makes the crime world more unsettling. Growing up in an environment like this has changed the way he's seen the world, even though he understands the weight of his family's actions, he sees it as normal since its all he's every known. His character reflects someone who is self aware but not fully detached, he's caught between loyalty of his family and the dark weight of their actions. 

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Category: Italian masculine given names. In Wikipedia. Retrieved February 6, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Italian_masculine_given_names

Script Post!

 This post will be about my script for my film opening! A script is a necessary piece of the film since it holds the story, lines the actors say, and emotions they need to convey, so scripts basically have the whole story on words and descriptions. 

Now I have to write one for my films opening, I have researched different scripts and looked at examples of a script for my genre. I looked over screenplays/scripts from Goodfellas and I saw how they wrote their script and wanted to use the same kind of formula they used. 

This is a page from Goodfellas Script.

So here's my adaptation of my ideas:

The Monsters We Become

INT. HOUSE – NIGHT

A quiet street. One house lit.

INT. BASEMENT STAIRWELL – NIGHT

Muted voices below. The NARRATOR descends the stairs.

BASEMENT – NIGHT

A group of MEN in dark suits stand and sit in silence.

Smoke lingers.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

Everyone here had a role.

The narrator scans the room.

ON LOUIS 

Restless. Leaning against the wall.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

That’s Louis. He never handled pressure well.

EXT. ALLEY – NIGHT (FLASHBACK)

Louis stands by a dumpster, breathing fast.

He looks around. Nervous.

He throws a body bag into the dumpster.

INT. BASEMENT – NIGHT

Louis steadies himself.

CAMERA ON SECOND MAN 

Seated. Papers on the table.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

Some people keep their hands clean.

Money moves quicker.

CAMERA ON OLDER MAN 

Still. Watching everyone.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

Others don’t need to say anything at all.

The older man meets the narrator’s eyes.

CAMERA BACK TO NARRATOR

NARRATOR (V.O.)

I grew up thinking this was normal.

That this was family.

WIDE SHOT – BASEMENT

The men talk quietly.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

Turns out, not everyone does.

FADE OUT.

I hope to be making a live adaptation of this script and make a blog post surrounding it! 

Mendelson, S. (2019, May 17). Page One: Goodfellas (1990). Go Into The Story – The Black List. Retrieved February 6, 2026, from https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/page-one-goodfellas-1990-d279023814c5

Summarization and Major Inspiration!

 My film opening is of the crime genre and is about an Italian crime family that is all about loyalty and hierarchy with older men in the family have the most experience and know everything about the mafia and the current generation being the heads and the newer family members being dragged into it. The opening starts with the current head of the family walking into the basement where all the male family members are down there smoking, drinking, or eating antipasto. The narrator (main character) then goes describing the family members and what crimes/actions they are known for. 

Most of my major inspiration comes from some of my favorite movies/shows. My major inspiration for the opener idea was The Sopranos. Where Tony Soprano is in a crime family and he's the current boss of the family and has nephews and uncles that are in on the whole thing. This show has interested me for a while now and I wanted to make something similar. A movie that I was inspired by Goodfellas with character descriptions, and character growth through the span of the movie. 

Overall, most of my inspiration comes from the same genre of the opening I'm planning to do, they both are about Italian mafiosos and their families, and how they affect their life in different ways, like how Tony Soprano's family reflect on his actions and his problems with his stress levels. 

IMDb. (n.d.). The Sopranos. In IMDb. Retrieved February 6, 2026, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0141842/

The Poster Depot. (n.d.). The Sopranos poster. Retrieved February 6, 2026, from https://theposterdepot.com/products/1117sopranosptr0310201101

IMDb. (n.d.). Goodfellas. In IMDb. Retrieved February 6, 2026, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099685/

Reception Theory!

The media theory I want to integrate into my film opening is Stuart Hall's Reception Theory. This theory says that audiences are not passive instead they interpret media based on their own life experiences or beliefs, because of this, a single media piece can be interpreted in different ways.

Stuart Hall proposes three ways an audience can perceive different media:

A dominant reading: where audiences accept the creators actual intended meaning

An oppositional reading: audiences reject the creators intended meaning

A negotiated reading: the audiences partially accept the creators meaning

In my film opening, the narrator (main character) introduces his family members and briefly explains what crimes they've committed. Using this theory, I understand that audiences can view/react differently to these characters. Some viewers may accept the narrator's calm tone and see the characters as powerful and loyal to each other, or some viewers may reject the narrators' words and see the characters as immoral or dangerous. As well as a negotiated reading may occur where audiences can see where the narrator is going but still rejects the actions of the characters. 

By integrating Reception Theory, I can allow my opening to have different interpretations to each viewer either that be negative, neutral, or positive, rather than forcing a single message. This can create realism and engage with the audience, and it aligns with the crime genre because these types of media always shift between right and wrong, and some people might think its justifiable whilst others may think it's immoral/bad.

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Stuart Hall (cultural theorist). In Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Hall_(cultural_theorist)

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Reception theory. In Wikipedia. Retrieved February 5, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reception_theory

Group Meeting #1

 Group Meeting #1

In the group were Arantza, Carolina, Andrea, Lydia, Jean-Paul (JP), Elli, and me. First was Andrea. Her idea was a dystopian film opening on a woman in ragged clothes, alone in a ruined world. The core story follows a family struggling under a brutal government, soldiers are hostile, fear is constant. We ended up discussing how the bleak setting alone might carry the heavy mood, possibly reducing the need for dialogue.

 Amanda's story involves a female taekwondo athlete who participates in tournaments while trying to achieve success. The opening will involve her competing at her sporting event, but something goes horribly wrong during her match, and she gets a broken foot. One idea she had was to open the movie with a very intense argument instead, pulling the audience in quickly while providing them with the central source of conflict in the film.

Lydia's opening described a man with glasses who experiences crazy visions. One of his visions occurs where he sees himself die in the future. The story has a mystery and sci-fi elements, and we discussed how these visions can give the audience pieces of information through a series of flashes throughout the film in order to build suspense and ultimately reveal the entire story.

JP has thought about making a thriller movie that talks of a young gentleman who is bullied. He isn't done yet but. I really liked listening to all of the group's various project concepts, as well as how many different types/genres of films.

Overall, I feel that the group has helped me find out how different film opening formats can appeal to different audiences of people and how each member's progress throughout the project has indicated to me that I have been working on my project and will be on track to finish my film in the manner that I want through the use of my time.

Shot list! Research post

Story Concept – Opening Narration

The narrator starts the movie by arriving in the basement where most of the men in his family are already there. The majority of scenes involve the narrator walking around the basement and introducing each of the men (thru voiceover) by including a short flashback of each of the men. All the short flashbacks imply that physical violence has occurred to these men but do not show it. The voiceovers continue throughout the opening; the events are not presented in a positive way, which adds to the tension and discomfort created from seeing these flashbacks.

Shot List – Narrator Introduces the Family

Shot 1 – Entrance

• Medium tracking shot of the narrator walking down basement stairs

• Low lighting, muffled voices

• Voiceover begins: “Family isn’t about blood. It’s about loyalty.”

Shot 2 – Group Establishing

• Wide shot of all the men in the basement

• Smoke, silence, stillness

• Narrator pauses, then begins introductions

Shot 3 – Louis (First Introduction)

• Medium close-up of Louis leaning against a wall

• Narrator names him and briefly states his crime in neutral terms

Cutaway Scene (Louis):

• Night exterior

• Medium shot of Louis near a dumpster, looking over his shoulder

• No body shown only his reaction and urgency to get it over with

• Hard cut back to basement

Shot 4 – Second Family Member

• Close-up of another man seated, hands folded

• Narrator explains his role (fraud, intimidation, laundering)

Cutaway Scene:

• insert: paperwork, cash, burner phone

• No action, just implication

Shot 5 – Third Family Member

• Low-angle medium shot to suggest authority

• Narrator’s tone shifts respect or fear

Cutaway Scene:

• Interior car shot at night

• Man staring forward, unreadable face 

• Sound design carries tension instead of visuals

Shot 6 – Return to Narrator

• Medium close-up of narrator watching them all

• Voiceover reflects on growing up around this environment

• Establishes internal conflict

Shot 7 – Closing Beat

• Static wide shot of the group

• Basement hums with quiet tension

• Narration ends: “And that’s how I learned who I was.”